Hand truck



J. J. DOLAN HAND TRUCK March 9,1926. 1,

Filed June 27, 1925 INVENTOR W ,W MM Mm m A TORIVEVS Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

UNITED? STATES JAMES J. DoLAN, on ,NEW ROCHELLE, New YORK.

Application fi1ed'J'une27, 192 5. sen in 325915 To all w/wm z't mag/concern: y Y 7 Be it known that I, JAMES J; Dor an, a citizen of the United States, residingin the city of New Rochelle, in, the State of New 5 York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand Trucks, of which the followingyis a specification, reference being, bad to the accompanying drawing, forming," a art hereof. V I v y lhis invention'relates particularly to th construction of hand trucks such as are used for the transportation of ash cans and other, articles. One ofthe "objects of the invention is to produce a truck of this character in which the ash can, barrel, boxor other articleitoj be transported can be engaged with the truck without the application of the' hands to the article and in which the article, when once engaged by the'truck, shallbese- V cured in positionautomatically and shall be held so firmly that it cannot be dislodged n any ordinary movement of the truck. *An- 1 other object is to provide means for the clos-j ing'of the top of an open can or barrel as 1t isenga'ged by the truck so: as to prevent the spilling of the contents. Still'ahotherobJeCt is to produce a truck which shall have adequate strength, shall not be unduly heavy, and shall be capable of manufacture atva reasonable'cost. H The invention will be more particularly described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing, in-which;

Figure 1 is a View of thejimproved-truck in side elevation, the position of theparts of I the truck as it is engaged with an ash can, being indicated by broken lines; F'gure 's a view of the t'ruck in elevation as seen from the right-hand in Figurel.

Figure 3 is a viewin elevation, partly in section, showing the position of the parts when an ash can has been engaged by the truck, the can being vindicated by broken lines. L

Figures 4 and 5 showjdetailsof construction to be referred to. H I The truck comprises' two parallelmembers which constitute the main portionsz of the truck' frame and the handles, each of such. members consisting of two portions a and I), which are hinged togethenas at 0, so that the member can be flexed in one direction but notvin the other. The two membersfa are connected at the lower end by a cross bar d whichis preferably formed as an an lei iron, one portion of which is formed w th or has Welded thereto a member d" whichis i bent or formed as shown in Figures 1 and3" and is extended upward along the portion a" and is" securedthereto by screwsor rivets,

as indicated.

Another member e, als o' preferably; of

through the member 6 secured by nuts f.

ber z' whiclrmcy'beforme y strap iron, is similarly secured to the other "1 side ofthe membera and is similarlybent i' 0r formedin parallelism with the member (Z, so as'to provide a proper' support for the} spindle 7 which provides a bearing for the correspondingfwheel, g": and, being extend ed and the member dfis The upper .or handle portions ofthe; mainframe members are also connected and" held in parallelism byjacro'ss har ot-rod kl, which is properly threaded at its ends land] securedby nuts "71, "On the rod 12, is hung, so that it may swing freely, a clamping'mem da" k'covel foi Secured to the lower end of each [frame member a, b, e, as by being engaged the 1 corresponding bolt f, isalocking member which is preferably bent a-tlthe right angle, as'shown, and is securedto the frameImem y berha as indicated at a. This locking mem-ll her is formed with teeth on one edge, 1 itS lIhn A gravity latch member, eomposedfof x parts Land 112, hinged together as atm" so] [as to permit'flexi'ng, but provided .with a stopas at Z so as to prevent flexing in one directionhis pivotallyfconnected with each: corresponding handle member, 6,, as at F, l as by engagement with the end ofthe rod h. Th e part Z of the grayity latchjmember may be ,made of a' single strip of strap iron while the part m is p fifrablymade, of a strip of strapiron whichisloopedfor bent 1 upon itself so as, to straddle 'thelocking'fmember 7a and to engage the teethZc thereof. f In the use of the improved truckfit' advanced toward the can or other arti le to,

asshown clearlyjin Figures 4; and 5;

betransported, with the parts aand b of the main members in alignment, as jsholwnin Figure '1, As thecross member dcat the, lower "end makes contact with the, can the. foot of the user is placedagainst the cross member to prevent backward movement rests at its lower endon the upper part of therlockingmember. 7s,- andthat: as the, frame and, with the parts a and 6 still in align- Y ment, the truck is swung forward until the clampingmember. or cover iis overthe can. or otherarticle' to. beengagedi. Then,'-by pressure exerted on the handles, the frame members are flexed at the hinge 0 whereby the clamping member or cover is brought down upon the can, as shown by broken lines in Figure 1. It is to be observed that when the parts a and b of the main framemembers are in alignment the gravity latch 1,721,,

members are swung forward; the; gravity latch member swingsv free ofzthe locking member 7c,'asshown.by broken lines; in Fig: -ure l'.fThen,.;as the frame. members are shown in Figure 3, the gravity latch-menu flexed drawing the clamping member. or

cover down upon the can or other article and the frame members are. drawn back to ward the operator andtowardl the position hers. engage. the. teethofthe locking. mem-- here 76 and so secure :tlie several. parts of" them-10k. in their new positions; It will be understood'that when the frame members I are flexed and the cover is pressed down upon the top of thecan, as shownhy. broken lines in Figure. I, the canis at the sameatiine tilted forward slightly so. that. the cross member Z, or theQhorizontal portionthere ;of,' is pressed by theiffoot: oflthe operator.

under the edge of the. can. Thereby, when the locking has been effectedas shown in Figure3, the can or other article. is clamped firmly. between'the cross'memher dianclthe clamping] member or cover if It-will be ob..-

served" that as the j new relation of; the cross memberjandthe clamping. member. is mamtained by'the locking, the latchwith. the. locking member, the can or. otherarticle. will continue to be clamped between the cross member '(Z' and the clamping member or cover z" so that the truck and its loadlcan:

thenLlie" shifted to any position without dis.- engaging'the load from the truck. When .it isf desired to'disengage the load from the "truck the; truck and its load are tilted; for

ward from the positiontshown in Figure 3 until the load, at! its iorward edge. rests upon the ground'or floor. .As this movement takes place, the-gravity latches arepdi-sengaged from the looking members and, withv an upward pull on the handles, the; parts-1.

a and b'bf the frame members are brought lIltO' alignment; lifting thecover or clamp;

-in member from'the can or other article,

the cross member dbeing; at the same time allowedto move back from under the edge of the can or other article. I

It will; be seen thatthe truck adjusts itself'automatically to the height of the arti.- cle to be transported. When the truck. is

not in use it canbe. flexed on the hinge line and collap se'd, the? handle portions being "posed of two portions hingedly connected a cross member at the. lower end" of the main;

frame to engage; the article to be transport-- ed, a. clamping. member carried by the upper portionotthe mainframeto engage the toph of." the: articleto. be transported, and. looking to retainthe partsin clamping PO81: 5

devices 1 2.. In a; hand truck, aama n: frame comcross memberat tlielower'endot the main frame to engage the article to be. transports ed, a. sw nging clamping member. carr edby;

the upper portion ofthe main' frameto ien gage. the top ofthe article to betransported,

posed ot'two portionshingedlyconnected, :1.

and locking; device's. togretain: the parts in;

clamping. position.

3. In a.hand@truck,.a maintramehaving two side members, each composed. of two- 1 portions hmgedlyconnected.across meme ber connecting. the lower. portions. and adapt.-

ed. to engage the; article to, be transported,

a cross member connecting. the. upper portions, aclampingmember swung on. the last named. cross member to engage the.: top of sition.

thearticle-tobe transported, and clamping; devices; toretainthe. parts. in clamping po- 4. In a hand truck, a main-.framejcom-f p osed; of: two portionsv hingedly connected; a

cross member. at the l'owerrend of the main;

frame to engagestheartiole tobe transport; ed-,.a clamping. memberficarniedby the. upper portionof themain frame to engage the-itoplocking bar carried by the lower portion. of. thev main frame, land a latch pivotally engaged with thenppenportion. of the 'main; frame and adaptedfto: engage the locking member.

of. the article, to be. transported, a toothed,

5;. In: ahand. truck, .a. mainframe having two side memberscomposedeach of two por-d tions hingedly connected, "11 cross member; connecting the twolower portions. and

adaptedto engage the article-to be.'trans-tported, a. cross. member connecting the. two upper portions, a clamping "member swung on 'theflast named, cross 'member, toothed. locking. members securedtothe lower. port-- tions, and latch members piyotally engaged with the up .er portionsand adaptedtoiengage. the loc ing members.

- 36.. In ahand' truck,., a main frame. having;

two side members com )osed each of two orin members secured to the lower ortions tions hingedly connected, at cross member and hinged latch members pivotally engaged connecting the two lower portions and with the upper portions and adapted to en- 10 adapted to engage the article to be transgage the locking members.

ported, a cross member connecting the two This specification signed this 26th day of upper portions, a clamping member swung June A. D. 1925 on the last named cross member, toothed locki JAMES J. DOLAN. 

